Tropical Storm Helene forms in the Caribbean Sea

ATLANTA — Potential Tropical Cyclone 9 has strengthened into Tropical Storm Helene in the northwest Caribbean Sea and, on its current path, metro Atlanta will feel its effects later Thursday into Friday. In the National Hurricane Center’s latest update at 11 a. m. , it officially strengthened into a named tropical storm and has winds as high as 45 miles per hour. Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brian Monahan says the storm is currently large and disorganized, but is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico by Wednesday afternoon.

It’s expected to be a major hurricane by the time it makes landfall on Florida’s coast later on Thursday. Monahan says that storm will then move across Georgia late Thursday night into Friday morning. Along that path, heavy rain and strong wind gusts are likely in north Georgia. With heavy rain likely over parts of the ar.